"Stop!" Jacob quickly stopped Geko from thrusting his spear because he could feel strong movements once Geko opened that hole. He quickly moved toward the hole and looked through it, and his eyes dilated in surprise.
"What's here?" Charlotte curiously asked since she could also hear large movements behind that hole; furthermore, the air on the other side was extremely freezing and strange.
Jacob moved back and sternly said, "See for yourself."
"Don't mind if I do." Charlotte quickly approached the hole, and when she looked through it, she was stunned, "Are you kidding me?" She muttered in stupefaction.
On the other side of this ice wall was a massive underground city built with nothing but ice, and thousands of snow monsters, big or small, were wandering in that city.
The structures of those buildings were very mundane, but their sizes were different. But one building in particular was sticking out from the others, a 100-meter-tall ice tower in the center of this city.
Furthermore, the walls around the ice city were filled with passages, and many snow monsters were going in and out. Jacob and the team position were 40 meters above ground, so they could clearly see a large part of the city.
After Charlotte, Geko also saw the other side and was thoroughly shaken.
"We need to get the fuck out here." Geko said with resolve, but a hint of fear was present in his shaky voice, "This isn't a place where we can just fight our way out. Coming here was a mistake, but at least now we know we should get as far away from this place as possible."
Charlotte, for the time, agreed with Geko as she nodded, "Indeed, there is no way forward. This place is built within that mountain. We might be able to go around it on the surface while avoiding provoking those guys."
If it were any other time, Jacob would be the first one to flee the scene, but after seeing the ice city and all those monsters, he has his own theory.
"What if there is a shackle in this place?" He asked calmly.
"And what if there really is?!" Geko rebuked, "Do you really want to go down there and search for the shackle? The moment those bastards saw you, it's over. So, stop being greedy, or if you really want to die, then be my guest. I'm going." Geko coldly stated. He was playing along with Jacob being the leader since his decisions weren't bad and rational.
But now, what Jacob was suggesting was pure madness, and this place can't be conquered without an army. So, it was far better than to retreat now and gather their forces and only then take the risk.
After all, not even a month had passed since the trial started, so there wasn't any need to rush to their own deaths. At least they now know where to look for the shackle.
"I know it's very frustrating to just leave like this, but we can always come back after gathering our forces." Charlotte strongly suggested.
'That's the exact reason I want to get it over with. The conditions to complete this trial are very simple this time, and if someone ended up killing my targets, it would be over for me.
'I've been wondering for a while now that this place is like the North Pole and those monsters coming after us. So, this has to be the place where one of the beasts of directions resides, and now that I've seen this place, there is no doubt!
'Especially that tower. I have to investigate it, and if I can sneak in and find this so-called beast of direction alone, I can easily kill it. So, I can't back down.' Jacob thought with unyielding conviction. He knew if he missed this chance, he might not get another if anyone else figured out the mode of this trial.
"Alright, you two go back and search for your forces. But I'm going in. It was nice meeting you both." Jacob coldly stated as he felt it was a shame to let them go just like that, but he couldn't take the risk to hex one of them and then cause a commotion while fighting the other one.
Furthermore, he would feel far better going around alone and sneaking toward the ice tower in the center, and he wouldn't have to worry about these two blowing up his cover.
"Tsk, I thought too highly of you." Geko sneered with disdain as he turned toward Charlotte and said, "Let's go, lady Charlotte. This greedy bastard will only drag us down."
Charlotte winced her browns as she looked at Jacob deeply and said, "You do know there's a 95% chance you'll die before you could even find the trace of the shackle."
Jacob coolly said, "I know, but that's the thing about adventure, going towards the unknown."
"Going towards the unknown…" Charlotte muttered with a hint of surprise before her eyes suddenly glimmered with realization as she smiled at Jacob, "Since that's the case, I'll be coming with you."
Jacob was surprised by Charlotte's sudden change in attitude, "Why?"
Geko also wanted the answer to that same as he thought Charlotte was too blinded by her own personal interest in Jacob that she was willing to take such a risk with him.
"I'm also an adventurer, and unlike those fakes, I'm not afraid of dying by pursuing something that gives me true joy." Charlotte smilingly declared with a proud expression.
Jacob couldn't help but look at the enthralling giant in a new light for the first time. There wasn't any falsehood in her words or eyes, and she was dead serious despite her expression.
Even though he didn't want her to go there with him, he knew she wouldn't back down, so he nodded, "I hope you can prove those words when the time comes."
"I'm going!" Geko was very displeased and found both Jacob and Charlotte, two lunatics who don't cherish their lives. So, he didn't waste more time in persuading Charlotte and turned around.
"Heh, he's just a coward." Charlotte scoffed, seeing Geko heading back.
Jacob's eyes shimmered with a peculiar light, and suddenly, he said, "Wait here, I have something to discuss with him. I'll come back after escorting him out of this tunnel. If things go south, I think Geko can be very useful."
Charlotte was surprised by Jacob's sudden mood swing and curiously asked, "What are you planning?"
"Just making sure he leaves with proper motivation. Don't worry. I won't push too hard if he doesn't agree. You keep an eye on the other side and, if possible, devise a way toward that ice tower. That's our primary target. I'll be back."
Jacob didn't give Charlotte any chance to speak further and quickly catch up with Geko.
Charlotte couldn't help but muttered with a strange expression, "Why does he sound somewhat excited?"
She didn't know it was the last time anyone would see or hear from Geko again!
